Any time a hurricane destroys a production platform, it is both an environmental and financial tragedy. But in October 2002 when Hurricane Lili’s 140 mph winds and driven seas destroyed the Eugene Island 275 platform off the Louisiana coast, TOTAL E&P USA, INC. (TOTAL) acted quickly and responsibly by investing all necessary resources to minimize the impact of the incident on the Gulf of Mexico.
The company’s focus on and commitment to sustainable development guided decisions about the disposal of the platform. While the wreck was safely cleared, TOTAL also took special consideration to protect the environment, facilitate biodiversity and exceed platform abandon requirements.
Prior to Lili’s dash across the Gulf, TOTAL was in the process of decommissioning EI 275. The facilities had already been purged and flushed of hydrocarbons, so there was no environmental leak or spill during the storm’s devastation. Although the platform was being readied for abandonment, hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment were lost to the sea when the storm destroyed the deck, including a wire-line unit, gas compressor, generator and fuel tank, explosives used to sever the tubing and an assortment of smaller pieces.
TOTAL immediately developed a plan to recover the equipment and was committed to reclaiming anything that could create a potential environmental or safety hazard. The company contracted Stolt Offshore to perform the salvage work. The goals were to return the area to normal navigational status, avoid any risk of future pollution, and perform offshore operations with minimal impact on the environment and risk to operational divers. To avoid the use of explosive devices, new technology was employed in the form of Remotely Operated Tools, which completed hazardous operations in the place of divers.
By special agreement with the State of Louisiana, the deck was left where it came to rest on the sea floor to serve as an artificial reef. As work proceeded, divers noted an abundance of sea life around the wreckage. Most of the aquatic food chain was represented—from game fish and sea turtles to several species of crustaceans. Conversion of the EI 275 wreckage to a marine sanctuary was completed in the fall of 2003 without any major accidents or pollution. The end result was an enhanced habitat for marine life that boasted water clearance 12 feet in excess of the 85-foot requirement.